Mathematics in vocational education: A comparative study between Portugal and Spain

Vocational education is an international priority, as it contributes to countries’ economic growth, quality education, and social development. This article aims to compare vocational education’s ‘prescribed’ and ‘enacted’ curricula (curriculum implementation guidance documents, textbooks, classroom resources, materials, and research articles) in Portugal and Spain. Adopting a qualitative and interpretative methodology, the study focuses on the mathematics discipline of vocational courses at the secondary level organization within compulsory education. The comparison of curricula in Portugal and Spain was sought, using the conceptual framework developed in 1971 by Heinrich Roth, which was applied in 2014 by Pilz et al. (2014) and later in 2022 by Rodrigues and Pimenta (2022). The conclusions emphasize the diversification of mathematical themes in both curricula and the focus on developing transversal skills to prepare active and engaged citizens, particularly by analyzing the role of mathematics in vocational education. Based on the findings, the curriculum should prioritize the diversification of mathematical topics, provide clear guidelines for mathematics teaching and learning, promote the development of transversal skills to support lifelong learning, and create resources and training to enable teachers.